Blow out preventer



June 3o, 1931'.

B. M. -l-:NsEN

BLOW-OUT PREVENTER Filed 0011. 20, 1926 @yl/49 lll i* owne Patented June 30, 1931 ED STATES BERTEL EL JENSEN, F HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFORNIA, A SSIGNOR T0 'W'. D. SHAFFER, OF BREA, CALIFORNIA :BLOW O 'UT EBEVENTER Application led October 20, 1926.

My invention relates to oil wells and more particularly to deep well apparatus and it is an object of this invention to provide a practical device which may be applied to the top of a well casing having a drill pipe disposed therein, and in the event of a blow-out will form a closure between the top of the well casing and the drill pipe to prevent the escape of gas and uids.

In many wells oil and gas, sand, slush and. other deposits are driven from the pipes or casing with great velocity and the momentum of this stream breaks pipes and often raises the casing from its position, allowing l5 water and mud to enter into the well causing great loss of material and greatly damaging the productive capacity, to say nothing of the great waste thus caused or of damage to ropes, machinery, buildings and adjacent property. Moreover there is great danger of re and of loss of life on such occasions as many wells are situated in thickly populated districts.

The objects of my invention aref First, to provide safe and effective means for preventing gas blow-outs or leaks of any kind or nature, which means consists of a body member especially constructed to it on the upper end of the well casing ordinarily employed. Second, to provide a head or body member which is so constructed as to be mounted upon the casing in such a manner that the drill pipe may be firmly gripped between two jaws in case of accident in order to prevent the same from being blown out or damaged, and in order to prevent gas, oil or other materialv from escaping around the drill pipe or through the casing. A third object of the invention is to provide a head or body member having gripping jaws mounted therein in such a manner that they can be easily and quickly closed upon the drilling tool by a single operation performed manually by one man in case of emergency.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter set forth and the novel features thereof defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings which are for llustrative purposes:

Serial No. 142,915.

Figure 1 is a plan view of my safety device with a portion of the upper half of the body member broken away so as to expose the gripping jaws and the means by which they are operated;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device partly in section, showing the drilling tool, casing, and the gripping jaws closed upon the drilling tool.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1, 1 represents sections of the casing or body member of the blow-out preventing device. These sections are held together by suitable bolts, rivets or thelike 2, 2. 3 represents the drill pipe which is of the usual cylindrical type. The usual tool joint is shown at 4, which will be located at different points during the drilling operation but which, in this case, is shown in Figure 2 directly below and abutting the closure forming members 13 and 14 which are in closed relation. 5 represents a pipe section threaded externally at 6 to fit into the internally threaded portion of the casing or body member 1. 13 and 14 represent the closure forming members 75 which are constructed in three parts to facilitate assembling thereof and to perform certain novel and useful functions to be set forth hereinafter. 40 represents a rotatable shaft by means of which the closure members are closed or retracted; this shaft -is squared as at 36 to provide for a suitable crank handle (not shown). The shaft" 40 is provided with a shoulder or enlargement 34 which lits within the recess 37 of the body 85 member 1 to prevent longitudinal displacement of the same. Formed integral with this shaft 4() is a socket member 3Q.' which is threaded externally as at 41 and internally as at 42. Surrounding this socket member and in threaded engagement with the .same is a sleeve 33. The shaft 40 imparts, upon rotation, longitudinal sliding movement to the sleeve 33 within the chamber 34 formed in the body member 1.

Carried by the sleeve 33 and integral therewith are two parallel arms 34 and 35. The closure member 14 has a central part 14 fastened to these arms by means of the pin 8. The other closure member 13 is similarly 100 pressure on both sides.

connected to a threaded bolt 31 by means '0f the pin 8 and is slidably mounted upon the parallel arms 34 and 35. The bolt 31 has threaded engagement with the socket member 32 and is moved longitudinally upon rotation of the rod 40 and the socket member 32.

I will now describe the novel features of the closure members 13 and 14, each of which is formed in three sections. The construction of each member being lsimilar, I will, for illustrative purposes, describe the mode of operation of but one of them; for example, the closure member 14. This member is formed in three sections and consists of a central member 14 and upper and lower members 17 and 18. The member 14 is rigidly connected to the arms 34 and 35 heretofore described. The three sections are connected together by means lof a flexible gripping fabric 45 Ywhich may be constructed of rubber, rubberized fabric, leather or any other suitable material. This fabric extends across the upper and lower faces of the members 17 and 18 to provide a tight fit when the closure members expand. This expansive feature of the closure members will be d'escribed hereinafter. The upper and lower surfaces of this central member 14 are provided with cam surfaces C, C upon which, or against which the upper and lower members 17 and 18 closely fit. By virtue of the cam surfaces, the central member 14 may act as a wedge between the upper and lower parts 17 and 18 so as to expand them when the closure members are engaging the drill pipe 3 against the interior top and bottom surfaces of the housing indicated at 46`46.

The operation of my device will now be described in detail; the occurrence of a blowout is indicated by a rumbling noise below the` ground. The exact interval of time elapsing from the time when this noise 1s first heard and the time of immediate danger varies but is usually from thirty seconds to one minute. When the danger is first anticipated the operator turns the shaft 40 in the proper direction by means of a crank. The threads -41 on the socket member 32 will cause the sleeve 33 to be drawn longitudinally toward the operator carrying with it the arms 34 and 35 and the outer closure member 14. The inner threads 38 of the socket member 32 having opposed relation to the first mentioned threads, rotation of the socket member 32 will force the bolt 31 away from the operator at the same time carrying the inner closure member 13 with it. The threads 41 and 42 are ofthe same pitch, thus rotation of the shaft 40 in one direction will cause the closure members 13 and 14 to close upon the drill pipe as a center with equal It will be obvious that when the closure members are closed upon the drilling tool it will be held in whatever position the tool happens to be when the closure members close. If, however, the nature of the blow-out is such that an undue amount lof pressure in an upward direction is placed upon the drilling tool there may be a tendency for the same to slip regardless of the pressure exerted by the closure members 13 and 14. This slipping, however, will continue merely until the tool joint 4 reaches the position shown in Figure 2, abuttin against the lower sides of the closure mem ers and at this point, upper movement of the tool joint will be effectively stopped.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown and described is to be taken as apreferred example of the same ed within the housing, an internally and externally threaded socket carried by said shaft, said threads corresponding inpitch and running in opposite directions, and means connecting each of said closure forming members to one of said sets of threads.

2. A blow out preventer comprising a housingl having a vertical opening therethrough for the reception ofv a drill pipe, rigid opposed members movable in the housing presenting surfaces which are inclined to the direction of movement, and rigid members associated with said movable members and presenting surfaces adapted to be eneased drill pipe in the opening and then force them against the housing, and means for moving the movable members.

3. A blow out preventer comprising a housing having a vertical opening therethrough for the reception of'a drill pipe, rigid opposed members movable in the housing presenting surfaces which are inclined to the direction of movement, and rigid mem- 'bers associated with said movable members by the first mentioned surfaces whereby the-movable members may move the rigid members into 'engagement with the- 4. A blow out preventer comprising a housing having a vertical opening therethrough for the reception of a drill pipe, rigid opposed members movable in the housingpresenting top and bottom surfaces which converge toward the opening, rigid top and bottom members associated with each movable member and presenting surfaces adapted to be engaged by the movable members whereby thev movable members may move their respective top and bottom members into engagement with the drill pipe in the opening and then force them against the top and bottom' of the 'housing respectively, and means for moving the movable members.

5. A blow out preventer comprising a housin having a vertical opening therethroug for the reception of a drill pipe, rigid opposed members movable in the housing presenting top'and bottom surfaces which converge toward the opening, rigid top and bottom members associated with each movable member and presenting surfaces adapted to be engaged by the movable members whereby the movable members may move their respective top and bottom members into engagement with the drill pipe in `the opening and then force them against the top and bottom of the housing respectively, and means for moving the movable members, there being a layer of resilient material over the drill pipe engaging ends and the housing ngaging surfaces of the top and bottom memers.

6. A blow out preventer comprising a housing having a vertical opening therethrough for the reception of a drill pipe, rigid opposed members movable in the housing, rigid top and bottom members associated with each movable member and presenting surfaces whichdiverge away from the opening said surfaces being adapted to be engaged by the rigid movable members whereby the movable members may move their respective top and bottom members into engagement with the drill pipe in the opening and then force thennagaignst the top and bottom of the housing respectively, and means for moving the movable members.

7. A blow out preventer comprising a housing having a vertical opening therethrough for the reception of a drill pi e, rigid opposed members movable in the ousing, each presenting a plurality of sets of surfaces on the top and bottom thereof, the surfaces of cach set converging toward the opening, rigid top and bottom members associated with each movable member and presenting surfaces adapted to be engaged by the first mentioned surfaces whereby the movable members maymove their respective top and bottom members into engagement with the drill pipe in the opening and then force them against the top and bottom of the housing respectively, and means for moving the movable members.

8. A blow out preventer comprising a housing having a vertical opening therethrough for the reception of a drill pipe, opposed movable members in the housing, rigid top and bottom members associated with eachmovable member, each top and bottom member presenting a plurality of surfaces which are inclined to the direction of movement and which are adapted to be engaged by the movable members whereby the movable members may move their respective top and bottom members into cngagement with the drill pipe in the opening and then force them against the top and bottom of the housing respectively, and means for moving the movable members.

9. A blow out preventer comprising a housing adapted to be mounted upon a well casing and having an opening therethrough to receive a drill pipe, closure forming members slidably mounted within the housing upon opposite sides of said opening, an actuating shaft rotatably mounted within the housing, the inner end of said shaft being provided with exterior screw threads, said inner end being also provided with a socket having screw threads, said sets of screw threads ruiming in opposite directions, and means connecting said closure forming members to one of said sets of threads, whereby upon rotating the actuating shaft both closure forming members can be moved simultaneously into engagement with the drill pipe upon opposite sides thereof.

10. A blow out preventer comprising a housing adapted to be mounted upon a well casing and having an opening therethrough for the reception of a drill pipe, closure forming members slidably mounted within the housing upon opposite sides of said opening, an actuating shaft rotatably mounted within the housing, the inner end of said shaft being provided with exterior screw threads, said inner end being also provided With a socket having screw threads, said sets of screw threads being made of corresponding pitch but running in opposite directions, and means connecting each of said closure forming members to one of said sets of threads.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

BERTEL M. JENSEN. 

